I am a Managing Partner at Brookside Strategies, LLC, an energy and utility management consulting firm based in Darien, Connecticut. I've spilled blood, sweat and tears grappling with the full spectrum of barriers and misconceptions about distributed generation and energy-efficiency technologies. Previously, I practiced law in New York City at Paul Weiss Rifkind Garrison & Wharton, LLP and Jenner & Block, LLP. I also attended journalism school at Columbia University and earned a JD at Stanford Law School. I've written about energy and environmental issues for Forbes, The Nation, Mother Jones and several other publications. I am the Chair of the Northeast Clean Heat and Power Initiative. Drop me a line - or two - at wmp@cleanbeta.com.

World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Goes Live

The fleet of 175 wind turbines stationed in the salty waters of the outer Thames estuary, where the river Thames empties into the North Sea, boasts a nameplate capacity of 630 megawatts, which is enough to power nearly half a million homes.

Previously, the world’s largest offshore wind farm was the 500 MWGreater Gabbard wind power facility off the coast of East Anglia.

The UK currently boasts more than 3.6 gigawatts of total offshore wind power capacity, which is forecast to more than quintuple in size by 2020.

Although the London Array began operating in April, it was “officially” opened at today’s ribbon cutting ceremony, which was attended by British Prime Minister David Cameron.

“This is a great day for Britain and a big win for renewable energy,” Cameron said at the opening ceremony. “London Array shows you can build large-scale renewable energy projects right here in Britain. This is because when it comes to clean energy, the UK has one of the clearest investment climates globally.”

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Back in 2010 a study was down by NREL that showed that if Offshore Wind Power were fully developed in the U.S., the generating capacity would be 4 times greater than what the whole country uses in a year. And yet, industry front groups, such as the Koch-funded “Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound” have done absolutely they can to stop Wind Power. The United States doesn’t have a single offshore Wind Power farm.

Wind farms have been in operation since the 1960′s in the USA, are they viable? Perhaps, yet if this were a viable solution I suspect 50+ years of experiment would have been sufficient for private investment to take the ball and run with it. The obvious fact is that with out government subsidies they would no long be functioning. Best example of this is what happened in Spain, wind power is being dismantled.

Wind power is now competitive with fossil fuel power in many locals. Fossil fuel energy has been heavily subsidized by the US government over the years and continues to be, but you’ll rarely hear our “libertarian” right-wingers bring up this fact.

really think about how much government money goes to oil, and of course all the preferential tax treatment investors in shares of oil companies get, there would be much less drilling and plugging, which is what went on cause they were saying it for when the price would rise,

so lets all love the oil, lets all bow down in homage to a world run by oil companies that spill and pollute and ruin the future

oil is important, oil is good, just stop burning it, we need it for materials that save lives, not destroy it.

wind farms and solar farms reap energy that falls down from the sun, what could you possible have against that ?

Brian, you got half the story right. Yes, Spain has been dismantling older wind farms only to put up larger generating windfarms in their places. The newer wind generators put out much more electricity than the old ones. California also has done the same. You can find the older wind generators that were in California for sale on the internet for around $7,000 to $14,000 each occasionally.

Brian What part of the Koch Bros. usual slime undermining do you not understand? and the Spain project was dismantled not because it did not work, it not have the correct permits to be placed where it was…do you work for Koch?

Right. So lets keep burning oil. Or we can wait for all these old people who are in charge to die off then younger generation whom majority believe in environmental causes and not just about profitability will build them. We subsidize farmers and oil but no one ever mention that crap.

Nuclear is in use all across The U.S, and they have never gone without massive government subsidies at every stage of their life cycle. Accounting for the massive investment and energy use needed to mine and refine uranium, and the fact that no private insurer will fully insure them, and you see that they aren’t really viable, but we have been using them anyway.

For the last week or so we have had a weather system called The Bemuda High. This system blocks the wind from Florida to Maine for weeks. Offshore wind turbines will produce little to no power at times when demand peaks.

We will need to maintain the full capacity of the existing system forever.

There is evidence to show that operating the present system in backup mode for offshore wind power consumes about the same amount of fuel with or without wind.

The plan to fill the East Coast with offshore wind turbines will not avoid any significant amount of carbon, but it will more than double the cost of electricity.

Kenny dummy…when your brain fell out when you farted at 2 years old ..why did you not get a replacement? The US has 5 of the 10 windiest locations but good ole repturds block every attempt at helping our country…why good ole Louie Goober of Texas claims we’re stopping the wind with all these things…who elects there dopes??